Tuesday, December 1, 2015

IT News Head Lines (HardOCP) 02/12/2015

Google Hires Tesla's Autopilot Engineering Manager
It's funny how people just shuffle from company to company in Silicon Valley.

According
to his LinkedIn profile, Rose left Tesla right after the release of the
Autopilot in October and a month later, we learn that he joined Google.
It's not clear if Rose joined Google to work on the company's
self-driving car project, since unlike for his other positions, he
didn't include a description of his role with the company other than
"Software Engineer" at "Google Robotics".

AT&T Really Wants You Off That Unlimited-Data Plan
While price hikes like this suck, at least it wasn't as bad as the one Verizon customers got hit with.

The
nation's second-largest wireless carrier confirmed Monday that it is
raising the price of its unlimited-data plan by $5, to $35 a month. The
change, the first in seven years, will take effect in February. Earlier
this month, Verizon raised the price of its grandfathered unlimited-data
plan by $20. T-Mobile and Sprint, which each still offer unlimited data
as an option, raised their prices in the last few months.

Cyber Monday Deals At Amazon
If
you are looking for some of the best Cyber Monday deals you can find,
we have forum threads full of great deals on mobile accessory and
cables, computer component and accessories, console games, TVs and
projectors, cameras, audio / video deals and more. Get some while the
getting is good! Read More ...

Algorithms Make Better Hiring Decisions Than Humans
Guess
what else algorithms can do better than humans? Everything. I guess we
all better get used to a future full of middle management AI overlords.

An
online test evaluated roughly one third (94,000) of the employees, who
were asked questions about their technical skills, personality,
cognitive skills, and fit for the job. Based on the results, an
algorithm rated each applicant green (for high potential), yellow (for
medium potential), or red (for low potential). On average, the employees
who were evaluated by a machine stayed in the job 15% longer than those
who were hired without being rated by an algorithm.

Internet-Speak Is Destroying The Planet
Internet-speak is literally destroying the planet.

"Omg
literally dying," she typed back, not missing a beat. She turned back
to her computer. But Jordana wasn't literally dying. She wasn't
figuratively dying, either. In fact, she didn't even crack a smile.
"It's almost like 'dying' has become a filler for anytime anyone says
anything remotely entertaining," she said. "Like, if what you're saying
won't legitimately put me to sleep, I respond with, 'OMG dying.'"

Using Technology To Lend A Hand
Do any of you guys use apps to do your charitable giving?

Many
of us would probably do more if philanthropy weren't so inconvenient.
That's the thinking, at least, of established charitable organizations
as well as new apps and websites that make giving as affordable as
buying a cup of coffee and as simple as using a smartphone.

Online Retail Passes In-Store Shopping For Black Friday Weekend
It
looks like online shopping is kicking in-store shopping's ass this
year. Given the option, why would anyone stand in line for hours and put
up with unruly crowds when you can just order what you want from the
comfort of your couch?

The survey says that 72.8% of
respondents did in-store shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, a hair
shy of the 73.1% who shopped online. That was by far the narrowest
margin between the two shopping methods. Online also beat out
bricks-and-mortar on Thanksgiving (39.8% vs. 34%), and on Saturday (49%
vs. 45.9%) and Sunday (32.9% vs. 19.1%).

FBI Can Demand Consumer Data Without A Warrant
Remember this guy? It's scary to think that it took him a decade in court to get the information we are seeing here today.

In
a statement on Monday, Merrill revealed the FBI has used its authority
to force companies and individuals to turn over complete web browsing
history; the IP addresses of everyone a person has corresponded with;
online purchase information, and also cell-site location information,
which he said can be used to turn a person's phone into a "location
tracking device."

U.S. Cyber Monday Sales Up 14 Percent
It looks like today might be a record breaking Cyber Monday. I've already done my part, how about you?

Sales
on Cyber Monday, the busiest day of the year for internet shopping,
were up 14 percent from a year earlier, totaling $490 million between
midnight and 10 a.m. ET, according to estimates by Adobe Digital Index.
Adobe tracked 80 percent of all online transactions from the top 100
U.S. retailers and said sales were on track to meet its expectation of a
record $3 billion by the end of the day.

1 Year Of Amazon Unlimited Online Storage For $5
I
don't know about you, but I think a full year of Amazon's unlimited
online storage for only $5 could be the Cyber Monday deal of the day!
Thanks to ccmfreak2 for the heads up.

Cyber Monday [H]ardOCP Commissioned Buying Links
Today
is Cyber Monday, one of the biggest online shopping days of the year,
and I'd like to remind you guys to use our commissioned buying links
when you are shopping online today. These links to popular online
retailers are just one of the many ways we keep this site free. It is
easy to do (one click), it doesn't cost you anything and these are the
online retailers you'd normally be shopping with anyway. So, if you are
doing any online shopping today, why not do it through these
commissioned buying links that let them know the [H] sent you? As
always, we sincerely appreciate the support. Read More ...